Tie-Breaker
by ImaginationRevelation
Summary: The Spirit of Competition unwittingly pits Mako and Bolin against each other.
1. Connecting

Korra was giving it her all. Her mind was focused on the match. She was concentrating on knocking the firebending Rabaroo out of the ring and into the water below. She succeeded and she saw the other two Rabaroos follow suit. The bell rang. She knew it before the announcer said it: the Fire Ferrets had won.

"All three rounds go to the Future Industry's Fire Ferrets, who win their opening match of the tournament!"

Korra felt so exhilarated. She was ecstatic they had won. She was happy that she had teammates and friends to share this accomplishment with. She was just so happy. This was a memory to behold. Nothing could ruin this moment. She was not even thinking about Tarrlok, his dumb task force, the Equalists, or her terrifying encounter with Amon. Only two things were on her mind: the victory and Mako.

Mako - the firebending hottie. Korra thought that this was a cheesy way to describe him, but how else would she do it? He was not the nicest guy, though, but she could not help liking him. The heart was so damn crazy at times.

Mako was closed off and he brooded a lot, but he really cared for his family, his friends. He was determined and strong. The fact that he was hot was definitely not a detriment. Korra liked looking at him, especially during their practices, when he would wear a tight shirt or no shirt at all.

She had to admit that it was weird that she felt this way. Back in the South Pole, she never had these kinds of feelings. She did not have time for a relationship. She was not allowed because apparently she was 'too young." She never wanted it. It compromised her independence. At least, that was what she told herself. Also, there was no one there hot enough to melt the ice.

'Mako could definitely melt ice just by glancing at it. Hell, I'm melting when he looks at me', she thought.

Pema's advice flitted across her brain. Korra decided that this advice had worked once for Pema, so why would it not guarantee the same results again? Korra made up her mind. She was going to make a move, a move that might changes both of their fates forever.

She thought that there was no chance that her approach could fail. They just won a match and everybody had high spirits. Maybe Mako would appreciate that she helped them win the match so much that the same feelings would be stirred in his heart. This thought gave her hope and made her heart soar. She saw Mako and started walking with him.

"Wow, we were really connecting out there in that ring."

' _Connecting_. What a romantic word, Mako!' Korra thought.

"Yeah! You know, I feel like the two of us have been connecting really well out of the ring too."

Mako looked a little uncomfortable. "Uh, sure."

'He probably has an idea of what I am about to say. Good, because then I won't have to spell it out for him.'

"So I was thinking we should spend some time together."

"We've been spending lots of time together," he said.

'Okay, maybe he does not know what I am about to say. This might be a bit awkward.' This did not deter her, though. Some people were just not good at picking up hints. She kept on going. She wanted to clarify. "I mean outside of the gym, and not while searching for kidnapped family members or fighting chi-blockers."

Mako looks down. "I don't know. Asami and I are..."

'Of course! Asami! But you guys have nothing in common. You do not spend as much time as you with me.' Korra was on the verge of saying that, but she held back her tongue. Bashing Asami was not going to be a good tactic.

Korra pondered on what to say next, but words tumbled out of her mouth. "Look, I really like you and I think we were meant for each other."

Mako's face said it all. Korra wanted to hit herself. These were not the words she wanted to say, but damn it, they were out there. She could not take them back. 'Well, no one could say that I'm not gutsy.'

"Korra, I'm really sorry but I just don't feel the same way about you."

'Ouch, that hurt,' she thought. This is going to turn into a really awkward situation. Korra wished that she could take it back. She knew this moment was going to haunt her worse than Amon. She would rather fight Amon right now than be here with Mako. She tried to fix things. "Forget I ever said anything."


	2. Rejection

Korra walked away. She wanted to gather her thoughts and tell herself that this was no biggie. 'Rejection is a part of life. Hey, at least, you know what you want and you go for it. If it does not work out, you move, right? Right.' Korra smiled on the inside. She knew she was right.

Her uplifting mood was brought down back to earth when Asami walked in.

"Congratulations, guys! You were so amazing out there." Asami walked up to Mako and kissed him on the cheek. Mako looked at Korra, which confused Korra. Why was he looking at her if he did not feel the same way about her?

Korra looked away. She was not going to let him bring her down anymore. She was going to move on. She was lost in her thoughts and did not notice that Bolin was right next to her until he opened his mouth and started talking.

"So, Korra, I was thinking: you and me. We could go get some dinner together. Sort of a date situation."

Korra was taken aback. She did not think that Bolin liked her. "Oh, that's really sweet, but I don't think so. I don't feel very date-worthy."

"Are you kidding me? You're the smartest, funniest, toughest, buffest, talentedest, incrediblest girl in the world!"

Korra giggled. Bolin sure had a way with words. "You really feel that way about me?"

"I felt that way since the moment I saw you! Trust me, I know we're going to have so much fun together."

Korra's heart eased up and felt a ton lighter; she felt it flutter a little, too. _Fun_. That was what she needed right now. She needed to get Mako and this _ugh_ situation out of her head.

"You know what? I could use some fun. Okay, sure." She made sure to make it sound like they were just hanging out. She did not want Bolin to get the wrong message. She did not want to stab his heart like his brother did to her.

"Yes! Who's the luckiest guy in the world? Right here, Bolin!"

'Oh, Bolin, you're so adorable. I'm very lucky to have a friend like you.'


	3. Noodles

Bolin took Korra to a Watertribe restaurant. They ordered the same thing, which Korra found to be very interesting, very interesting indeed. They certainly had much in common.

"So, how do you like it?" Bolin asked with his mouth full.

"Mmm. It's delicious! And totally authentic. Man, I didn't realize how much I missed Watertribe grub," she said with total honesty and enthusiasm. She also missed the meaty goodness, which reminded her of home.

She could not believe that on Air Temple Island she was being served only vegetarian cuisine. She was not going to complain. It was a nice thing that Tenzin allowed her to stay with them and train. She was going to respect his culture even though she still thought that vegetarians were a totally different species of people.

"That's great, because this is my favorite joint," Bolin stated.

'It was a good joint, worthy of Bolin,' Korra admitted.

Bolin kept talking. "See? You love Watertribe food; I love Watertribe food. Just another reason we are so great together."

Korra heard that and memories of Mako came flitting across her mind. She wondered if he liked noodles. 'Screw, Mako. He is not going to ruin my night with Bolin.'

She heard Bolin's comment on being good together, but she decided to ignore it. She did not want to handle it like Mako did. She did not even know how to handle this kind of situation without hurting Bolin's feelings. She was also unsure how she felt about Bolin.

"They are good noodles," she confessed. She looked up from her plate and saw a dude leering at her. He had black hair that dramatically covered his right eye. He looked like a total jerk. Who was he? Why the hell was he staring at them? "Hey, who's that creepy guy over there that keeps glaring at us?" she asked Bolin.

Bolin glanced over and in a blink of an eye, turned around to face her. "That's Tahno and the Wolfbats. The reigning champs three years running. Don't make eye contact."

Korra did not heed Bolin's warning. There was no way in hell that some boy was going to intimidate her. She glared back at Tahno, who stood up, signaled his posse to follow him and started walking toward the table she was sharing with Bolin.

 _"_ Uh-oh, here he comes. Now don't mess with this guy. He's a nasty dude." Suspicions confirmed. Korra was not frightening. Please, she faced Amon. This fancy pants of a boy was not going to make her run for the hills. She was not even going to make her cringe. Bolin gasped and tried to calmly eat his noodles, but he failed at his attempt.

Tahno made it over to the table. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the Fire Ferrets, probending's saddest excuse for a team. Tell me, how do a couple of amateurs like you luck your way into the tournament? Especially you, Avatar." He glanced at Korra.

Korra huffed in annoyance. Her faced radiated with silent defiance. Tahno leaned in closer to her. Korra noticed that he was wearing eye-liner. She laughed on the inside.

"You know, if you'd like to learn how a real pro bends, I could give you some private lessons."

'What is he going to teach me? How to wear make-up?' Korra stood up and stared straight into his face. "You want to go toe to toe with me, pretty boy?" She really wanted to hit him.

"Go for it. I'll give you the first shot," he teased.

Bolin leaned in and whispered, "Korra, don't. He's just trying to bait you. You hit him, we're out of the tournament."

Crap. Korra knew he was right. Korra did not want to jeopardize their chances. She wanted to hit Tahno really really hard. Knock him out for a while so that the Wolfbats could not compete in the tournament. That was the dream.

Korra did not know what to do, but she wanted to do something. She wanted to wipe that smug off of Tahno's face. An idea hit her. Korra whistled and right on cue, Naga's roaring head burst through the restaurant's shutters. Tahno looked like he might wet his pants and Korra was proud of herself and her moment of pure genius. Tahno composed himself, smirked and left Korra and Bolin, who erupted into fits of laughter.

"I've never seen someone harass Tahno like that. You are one of a kind, Korra."

Korra smiled at Bolin. She also felt a blush creeping up, but it did not show. With Bolin, she felt so at peace, at ease, something she never felt with Mako. She realized she might have some feelings for Bolin, but she shook her head, wondering if it was just the spur of the moment.

Bolin took her to a soda bar and they had a burping contest. Korra and Bolin were laughing while the other patrons were disgusted. It was nice to let it out. It was nice being here with Bolin who was not judging her, who was laughing with her.

Next, Bolin took her to a high tower, where they were met with a marvelous view of Republic City. Korra was at a loss of words. Republic City was breath-taking. The city was illuminated with golden lights and contained so much life not obscured by pure white snow, unlike the South Pole.

'This was quite a date,' Korra admitted to herself. Bolin was starting to become more attractive to her by the second.


	4. Jealousy

Korra was still dazed from her date with Bolin. Yeah, that was what she was going to call it: a date. She realized she had certain feelings for him. She walked to the arena and she hummed to herself. She felt elated, an emotion which quickly died when she saw who occupied the steps in front of the arena.

'Phooey, Mako. Of course, he has to ruin my mood." She thought she had forgotten about the disastrous confrontation and thought she could laugh about it now, but that was false. She realized that she still harbored some feelings for the brooding firebender, but she also wanted to be with his boisterous earthbending brother. Crap. This was going to get interesting.

Mako spotted her and walked up to her with an accusatory look illuminating his face and an accusatory tone to match. "What kind of game are you playing?"

Korra was confused. "Uh, probending. We've got a quarter-final match." Why else would she have come to the arena?

"No, I mean with Bolin. You got him all in a tizzy and I know you're only using him to get back at me."

Korra had to keep herself from laughing. 'Tizzy. What a funny word.' Korra snapped out of it due to her annoyance with the puffing Mako in front of her.

She was not allowed to like Mako. Now she was not allowed to like Bolin or even hang out with him. 'Wow, Mako, wow.' She did not know which brother she liked more, but she was not playing a game with Bolin. She was just having fun.

"I am not. We're just having fun together."

'Apparently that was a crime. Sorry, Officer Mako.' She smirked on the inside. Then she wondered why this concerned Mako the way it did. "What do you care anyway?"

"I'm looking out for my little brother," Mako started.

'Of course, the little brother excuse. What am I going to do? Eat him?'

"I don't want to see his heart get broken," he finished.

'Dude, I hate to break it you, but your brother is sixteen. He can take care of himself. You do not have to change his diapers or babysit him.'

A thought popped into her head. Maybe Mako did like her? Now, that just confused her even more, but she found it amusing so she was going to goad him. "Wait a second. You're not worried about him, you're jealous. You _do_ have feelings for me."

"What? Jealous?" Mako asked.

'Yeah, are you deaf?'

"Pfft, don't be ridiculous," he said.

'Thanks, because it's so ridiculous for something to like me.'

Korra did not stop goading him. "Admit it: you like me."

"No, I'm with Asami."

'So? It is not unprecedented that a person likes two people at once.'

"Yeah, but when you're with her you're thinking about me, aren't you?" Korra stated boldly.

"Get over yourself!" Mako insides were churning.

'No, thanks. I am way too fabulous. Maybe you get over me," Korra wanted to say.

"I'm just being honest." But was she? Did she really like Mako as much as she did before? Did the date with Bolin mess with her head? Or did it set her straight?

"You're crazy!" he yelled.

Korra was confused with her feelings, but she was fed up with Mako and shouted, "You're a liar!"

And they both stormed off inside the arena. Korra hoped that this argument would not mess up their game.


	5. Kiss

Boy, was Korra wrong. She was taking many hits. She was not in sync with the team. She bumped once into Mako and there was another shouting match betwen them. She was not thinking straight. She was angry. She was confused. Mako or Bolin? Mako or Bolin? These thoughts were corrupting her mind for the moment and making her unfocused. The match was not a good place to try and figure out her feelings for the two brothers.

The third round ended in a tie-breaker and Bolin decided to play. He won the round and the match. Korra was so happy they won and she was really proud of him.

She did not want to stay long. She congratulated Bolin and went out to a gazebo to try to declutter her brain and make sense of all of her emotions. Her thoughts were interrupted by Mako.

"We need to talk," he stated.

'I don't want to talk, but I know you'll keep talking," she thought.

"Look, sometimes you can be so infuriating."

'Thanks for the wonderful compliment. Maybe Bolin _is_ the better choice and the scores are: Bolin: 1, Mako: 0.'

Korra did not have the time for this crap. She was not going to stand there and be insulted by Mako. She did not want to hear this. She already had way too many critics and problems. She interrupted him. "Save your breath. You've already made it clear how you feel about me."

"No, I haven't."

'This is new. What is he trying to say? Is he playing some kind of game?'

"What I'm trying to say is..." Her question was about to be answered. "..as much as you drive me crazy, I also think you're pretty amazing."

She was not expecting this. 'Bolin: 1, Mako: 1.' She was feeling hopeful, but also more confused than ever. "So, you do like me?" she asked for reassurance.

"Yes, but..." He paused and sighed. "I like Asami too."

'Ouch,' Korra thought. She thought Mako was going to stop, but he kept on rolling.

"I dunno, things are complicated. Been feeling really confused..."

It was now or never. She had to figure out who she liked. She used Pema's advice and that was a bust. Mako did not appreciate her honesty at first, but here he was kind of confessing his feelings for her. He was different from her, which she found to be very intriguing, but then there was Bolin, who saved her from Toza, who was always so supportive and funny, who was happy from the beginning that she joined their team, who thought she was special since the moment he saw her and who took her on the most wonderful date ever.

Korra took a chance and did the only thing she could think of, the most logical tie-breaker: a kiss. She interrupted Mako's would be long-winded roller coaster ride of a speech and kissed him on the lips. She thought he was going to pull away, but he did not. Instead, he reciprocated. The sensation she felt broke the tie and the kiss. She realized who she wanted to be with. They pulled away from each other.

The most unfortunate sight met her eyes. There was Bolin with Pabu on his shoulder, with a bouquet of pink flowers in his hands, with the saddest and most betrayed look spilling over his adorable features. Tears started trickling out of his emerald eyes and down his cheeks.

Mako saw his brother and decided to try to fix things. He went into clean up mode and shouted. "Bolin, this isn't what you think!"

'Mako, you are such a liar!' Korra thought.

Bolin was not listening. He turned around, dropped the flowers and ran away. Mako turned to Korra. He looked furious. Rage contorted his handsome face; she was surprised that flames were not coming out of his nostrils."Great, look what you did!"

She was incredulous. "You're blaming me?"

"You kissed _me_."

" _You_ kissed me back and by the way, that was atrocious."

She turned around and ran off, leaving Mako feeling stunned. She did not care. She had to find Bolin. She had to make amends and confess her feelings for him. She hoped that they would be reciprocated, but she knew that there might be no chance of that now.


	6. Truth

Korra hopped on Naga and rode down the streets, trying to find Bolin so she could apologize and make amends. She paused and started to think. She decided to start trying to think like him. They were so alike. It was not going to take that much of an effort.

'When I am sad, I cry. Bolin is already crying, which is not a good thing. I liked to practice my bending or hit things, but he is not like that. That is one difference between us. Okay, okay, THINK."

It did not take long for her to come up with the answer. When she would be feeling down, she liked to chow down on some comfort Watertribe food. Bolin would probably use the same healing methods.

She tried to picture the restaurant that they went to earlier. She tried to picture the way. If only she could remember what the establishment was called, then she could ask around for directions.

Naga kept running, until Korra found a vaguely familiar street.

'This must be it.'

She led Naga into the street and searched for the memorable place. She finally found it: Narook's Noodle Shop. She leaped off Naga and hurriedly told her polar bear to stay. Korra ran into the restaurant and frantically looked around, finally spotting Bolin, who was slumped at a table all alone. The scene tugged at Korra's heart. She felt so bad, but she knew Bolin was feeling miserable.

'Well, time to make things right.'

Korra walked up to Bolin and nudged him. He looked up at her with the most forlorn expression she had ever seen. His eyes were red and his nose was runny.

"What do you want?" He asked rather aggressively.

"I came here to apologize for kissing Mako. I really did not think it would hurt you. I really did not think you liked me. I was wrong. I'm very - times infinity - sorry."

His face lightened up a little quickly. He started to clean himself up, but then, just as quickly, his face darkened again. "Thanks for the apology."

Korra thought he would be much happier and would return to his old self. 'Guess I just don't understand boys.' She wanted to know what was bothering Bolin. She was not going to force her feelings on him just yet. She did not think they would be welcome. She was going to be a great friend just like Bolin was to her. She was going to sit down and listen to him and offer him much needed and deserved sympathy.

"Bolin, what's wrong?"

"Nothing that can be helped."

"What do you mean?"

"I like you, Korra. I really do. Like a lot, but I can see that you totally like Mako. I accept your apology. I'll try to keep my feelings in check. I don't expect you to like me. I know feelings can't be forced or controlled so we'll still be friends."

"But I want to be more than friends."

"Whoa, Korra. You like me?"

Korra nodded. Bolin's face lit up again and then, darkened again.

"Then why did you kiss Mako?" he asked.

Fair question. She had to come clean.

"Okay, it's confession time," she started speaking very quickly. "For a while, I liked Mako. He was so unlike me; it was a nice change. I got some advice and I took it. I confessed my feelings for Mako, who did not really accept them. Then you took me out and it was so much fun! I was trying to forget Mako and I was also trying to convince myself that our date means nothing. Man, I was so wrong. The heart can be so crazy, you know? Then Mako confessed that he liked me, but he also liked Asami. I was still confused. You guys were tied, so I kissed him to break the tie. My strategy worked! I realized that I liked you more after all." She stopped and caught her breath.

He smiled. "How did you realize it?"

"Well, Mako doesn't know how to really charm the ladies unlike you. Plus, he is a really bad kisser," Korra acknowledged. "Poor Asami," she added.

"Mako's a bad kisser? Never knew that," Bolin said thoughtfully. "Come on, let me show you how a real man kisses."

And he did. Bolin swept Korra off her feet and kissed her passionately in the middle of the establishment just as Mako walked in.


End file.
